E-Paper
Two arrested for murder of former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar in Pune
Andekar was standing near the Doke Talim area with his cousin at approximately 8:30 pm when the attack took place
Pune: The Pune City Police arrested two suspects on Monday in connection with the murder of Vanraj Andekar, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator. The arrests were made within hours of the incident, which occurred on Sunday evening in the Nana Peth area of Pune.
Andekar, 38, who served as an NCP corporator from 2017 to 2022, was standing near the Doke Talim area with his cousin at approximately 8:30 p.m. when the attack took place. A group of five to six assailants on motorcycles fired five rounds at Andekar before striking him on the head with a koyata, a type of sickle. The former corporator died at the scene.
The incident occurred during a power outage in the locality, which had plunged the area into darkness. Despite this, the entire attack was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity.
Following a swift investigation, the police identified and apprehended two suspects: Jayant Laxman Komkar, 52, and Ganesh Laxman Komkar, 37, both residents of Palkhi Vithoba Chowk in Bhavani Peth, Pune. The arrests were made during a late-night search operation led by Senior Police Inspector Vijaymala Pawar.
According to police sources, the attack was motivated by a family property dispute. Ganesh Komkar is reportedly the son-in-law of Bandu alias Suryakant Andekar, while the deceased, Vanraj Andekar, was Bandu's son. Bandu Andekar is known to be a key member of the Andekar gang in Pune.
Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police, confirmed the arrests, stating, "As of now two accused have been arrested in this case and further investigation is going on."
Police sources also revealed that Andekar's death was primarily caused by the brutal injuries inflicted by the koyata attack rather than the gunshot wounds.
Immediately following the assault, teams from the Samarth police station and crime branch rushed to the scene. The victim was transported to a nearby private hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining CCTV footage and pursuing leads to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the attack.
